Hi so I'm new to this whole sergeing and I was wondering if you could answer some questions of mine
1) Are singer Sergers good beginner Sergers? I am trying to stick with singer or kenmore
2) what should I look for in a serger
3) ideas for a certain serger ?

I can't answer about Singer sergers. Singer products seem vary alot in reviews. I steered away from Singer. My first serger was a Brother 1034d that I bought from Amazon several years ago. It was easy to use and a workhorse. It is a great entry level serger. I upgraded to an Elna (Janome made) 745 combo machine. It is also a great machine that does both serger stitches and coverstitch. My guess is that Kenmore sergers were probably made by Janome as they made the sewing machines for years. You won't find a new Kenmore; at least, I don't think you will so you could look at Janome. Jukis get good reviews on here and so do Babylocks. I have never owned either one but both offer jet air threading which makes them super easy to use. I have seen the Juki for about $1000; I think Babylock are more than that. I would suggest going to some dealers and pricing out machines and trying them out. You will have lots of choices so it will depend on the money you want to spend and if you want dealer support.

As far as a serger is concerned, I highly recommend a BL with jet-air threading. Very expensive, yes, but hindsight is 20/20. Having put up with a German-made Pfaff mechanical (which produced beautiful stitches but was a bear to thread) for 18 years, I would have been far more productive and happier with a jet-air BL if they were an option back then.

I had my Imagine on layaway for a year and am kicking myself I did that. I serge way more now than I ever did with my Pfaff and my productivity went through the roof.

Wasted time fiddling with tension and threading? I don't have time to waste. Too expensive? So is wasted time. Can't afford one? Consider layaway from a reputable dealer.

I feel so strongly about BL jet-air sergers that I decided not to sell my Imagine after buying an Enlighten. I'm giving it to my daughter. She started using the Imagine, and she would NEVER want to use anything else that doesn't have some type of jet-air threading of the loopers. She has been spoiled with the best. The great thing about the BL jet-air sergers is that they hold their value too. Some machines are sought after, and these BL's are among them.

I sometimes tell my customers to just put one on layaway if it's out of their budget. Pay as much as they can. As long as my store sees regular payments toward purchase, they give our customers some leeway on time. It's "sew" worth it to wait a while longer but go for one like a BL. -- Edited on 2/1/14 6:48 PM --

I have a Singer Stylist serger. I took a lesson at my local sewing studio to learn how to use it. I like the different presser feet that I can use with it. However, my teacher said the Brother was easier to thread and is quite good for beginners, but that was after I had already purchased my Singer. I haven't had any problems with it so I don't plan on purchasing another serger for awhile.

Why? I've had a Singer 14SH764 (Stylist?) for several years, and have yet to have a problem-except when I forgot how to thread it and was too lazy to look it up. Two-way stretch, denim, satiny something- no problem. I would never write off an entire brand, but I would do what the OP did-ask questions. Yes, it is not top-of-the-line, but it is worth every cent I paid for it,

Babylock has a great beginner serger...used to be called Lauren but I'm not sure what it might be now. I think I paid under $300 years ago and what a workhorse! Not hard to thread...you just need to follow the threading diagram.
I know you said you wanted Singer or Kenmore but it might be worth your while to check out the Babylock. Good luck with your search!

I've enjoyed my Janome 7034D serger. I had never used a serger before last year and this one has been very easy to use, including threading (don't really understand what the big deal is with threading sergers), with zero downtime, though I perform weekly cleaning/oiling per the manufacturer's recommendations.

I've had the 7034d for about a year and use it several times a week. I serge all my fabric purchases prior to washing, use the serger for finishing most garment seam allowances, and construct t-shirts almost entirely on this serger. I sort of wish I'd gotten the serger/coverstitch combo machine from Singer, because I would like to have the coverstitch capability, though I've also heard that some folks don't like changing the dual machines over. Bottom line is, don't worry about the brand too much. Shop based on features, price, and dealer locations if dealer support is critical for you.

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